Fafner in the Azure

Fafner in the Azure

Japanese DVD cover art of the first volume
蒼穹のファフナー
(Sōkyū no Fafner)
Genre Drama, Mecha, Romance
Anime television series
Sōkyū no Fafner: Dead Aggressor
Directed by Nobuyoshi Habara
Produced by Gou Nakanishi
Takashi Noto
Takatoshi Chino
Written by Yasuo Yamabe
Kazuki Yamanobe
Tow Ubukata
Music by Tsuneyoshi Saito
Studio Xebec
Licensed by
Network TV Tokyo
English network
Original run 4 July 2004 – 26 December 2004
Episodes 26
Light novel
Written by Tow Ubukata
Illustrated by Hisashi Hirai
Demographic Male
Imprint Dengeki Bunko
Published 10 January 2005
Manga
Fafner: Dead Aggresor
Written by Mikami Akitsu
Published by Mediaworks
English publisher Digital Manga Publishing
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Dengeki Daioh
Original run April 27, 2005 – January 27, 2006
Volumes 2
Anime film
Fafner in the Azure: Heaven and Earth
Directed by Toshimasa Suzuki
Produced by Gou Nakanashi
Written by Tow Ubukata
Music by Tsuneyoshi Saito
Studio Xebec
Licensed by
Released 25 December 2010
Runtime 88 Minutes
Anime television series
Fafner in the Azure: -EXODUS-
Directed by Takashi Noto
Nobuyoshi Habara
Produced by Gou Nakanishi
Written by Tow Ubukata
Music by Tsuneyoshi Saito
Studio Xebec, XEBECzwei
Network MBS, TBS, CBC, BS-TBS
English network
Original run January 8, 2015 – April 3, 2015
Episodes 26[1]

Fafner in the Azure (Japanese: 蒼穹のファフナー Hepburn: Sōkyū no Fafunā) is a 2004 Mecha Drama Anime series produced by Xebec in collaboration with Starchild Records. It is directed by Nobuyoshi Habara and written by Yasuo Yamabe, Kazuki Yamanobe and Tow Ubukata (Le Chevalier D'Eon, Mardock Scramble) with character designs from Hisashi Hirai (Infinite Ryvius, s-CRY-ed, Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny, Linebarrels of Iron) and mecha designs by Naohiro Washio. It aired in TV Tokyo from July 4, 2004 to December 26, 2004 for 26 episodes.

The story focuses on a group of children who pilot the titular Fafners in an escalating war against giant aliens called Festum. The anime is subtitled Dead Aggressor. A television special subtitled RIGHT OF LEFT aired on December 29, 2005, a feature film subtitled HEAVEN AND EARTH had a theatrical release in Japan on December 25, 2010 and a sequel subtitled EXODUS, which aired in MBS and several stations on January 8, 2015. The series heavily borrow elements from Norse Mythology, referencing some of the terminology used.

Plot

At the beginning of the story, much of the world has been destroyed by the Festum and the remote Japanese island of Tatsumiyajima (竜宮島, lit. Dragon Palace Island) has only remained unscathed by virtue of an advanced cloaking shield. The island's young people continue with their daily lives unaware of these events, but after many years of peace a lone Festum discovers Tatsumiyajima and attacks. The adults activate Tatsumiyajima's hidden defense systems and attempt to repel the attacker but to no avail. Many of them are killed by the Festum in a process of assimilation. In desperation, they order the deployment of a Mecha called the Fafner Mark Elf, but its pilot is killed en route to the hangar. Left with no further options, they send a young boy named Kazuki Makabe as the replacement pilot assisted by Soushi Minashiro from within the Siegfried System.

The Festum is destroyed, but with Tasumiyajima's whereabouts exposed, the adults choose to relocate the island. Production is accelerated on additional Fafner units and more children are recruited to pilot them. It is also revealed that the cloaking was not meant to conceal Tatsumiyajima from only the Festum, but from the rest of humanity who would seek to use its technology in the greater war against them.

Characters

Main Characters

Kazuki Makabe (真壁 一騎 Makabe Kazuki)
Voiced by: Makoto Ishii (Japanese), Kevin Hatcher (English, TV series), Micah Solusod (English, Heaven and Earth)

At first he appears as an average character and not like a hero.He is kind and sincere as well as an amazing fighter if he is in middle of a battle.Like most of the children on Tatsumiya Island, he had no idea the earth was under invasion and strives throughout the series to understand why the adults hid this from him, and especially, why his estranged childhood friend Soushi is so willing to do whatever it takes to defend this humble island. Naturally, to someone with such a gentle nature, having to fight for his life constantly is a bewildering experience that causes him to question who he is and what he believes in, but he really grows as a person over the course of the story and becomes everything a real and uncliched hero ought to be.

Kazuki is originally the pilot of the Mark Elf (XI), but is given the much more powerful Fafner "Mark Sein" later in the series. His mother, Akane, was assimilated by Festum long ago and he now lives with his father Fumihiko. He enjoys getting to know Soushi outside of battle again, and feels comforted when he's with Maya. Living with only his father, he does all the cooking and shopping and thus is an excellent chef. He also seems to be very bad at card games (he's too honest to be good at bluffing).


Soushi Minashiro (皆城 総士 Minashiro Sōshi)
Voiced by: Kōhei Kiyasu (Japanese), Steve Cannon (English, TV series), Josh Grelle (English, Heaven and Earth)

Minashiro Soushi is basically the only one of the children on Tatsumiya Island who knows the truth—the world has been under invasion by an alien race called the Festum for the past three decades and Japan was destroyed 28 years ago. He is the son of Minashiro Kouzou, the commander of the secret military fortress Alvis, which is hidden in the bowels of the peaceful-seeming Tatsumiya Island. From a very young age, Soushi was bred to become the next commander of Alvis, so he has had a very isolated childhood carrying the heavy secret of the war and being told day in and day out that he must live only to protect the island. Though he was very close friends with Kazuki as children, due to an incident in which Kazuki ended up blinding Soushi's left eye, they have drifted apart, but find themselves once again clinging tight to each other for support when the Festum attack Tatsumiya and it is up to the two of them to defend it.

Because of his incomplete vision, Soushi cannot pilot a Fafner and fight the Festum hand-to-hand. Instead, he acts as the battle commander who connects directly into the minds of all the Fafner pilots through a super computer called the Siegfried System, and directs them in battle. All the pilots, especially Kazuki, hold to him for strength and leadership—a burden that he shoulders with grace and stoicism.

Because of his years of virtual isolation, he is rather awkward socially, (in fact, most people find him quite unapproachable or mistakenly think him hard-hearted). Kazuki alone seems to make efforts to understand and befriend him and the two become very close over the course of the series. Soushi also has a little sister named Tsubaki who is the island's Core and powers all the computer systems on it.

Maya Toomi (遠見 真矢 Tōmi Maya)

Voiced by: Marika Matsumoto (Japanese), Jennifer Sekiguchi (English, TV series and Heaven and Earth)

Canon Memphis-Hazama (カノン・メンフィス-羽佐間 Kanon Memphis-Hazama)

Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi (Japanese), Megan Hollingshead (English, TV series), Morgan Garrett (English, Heaven and Earth)

Fafner Pilots

Shouko Hazama (羽佐間 翔子 Hazama Shōko)

Voiced by: Miyu Matsuki (Japanese), Tiffany Gayle (English)

Kouyo Kasugai (春日井 甲洋 Kasugai Kōyo)

Voiced by: Miyu Irino (Japanese), Yuri Lowenthal (English)

Sakura Kaname (要 咲良 Kaname Sakura)

Voiced by: Satomi Arai (Japanese), Julie Ann Taylor (English, TV series), Leah Clark (English, Heaven and Earth)

Kenji Kondou (近藤 剣司 Kondō Kenji)

Voiced by: Minoru Shiraishi (Japanese), Lex Lang (English, TV series), Austin Tindle (English, Heaven and Earth)

Mamoru Koudate (小楯 衛 Kōdate Mamoru)

Voiced by: Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese), Tony Oliver (English)

Hiroto Douma (堂馬広登 Dōma Hiroto)

Voiced by: Nozomu Sasaki (Japanese), Sam Riegel (English, TV series), Chris Burnett (English, Heaven and Earth)

Seri Tatekami (立上 芹 Tatekami Seri)

Voiced by: Misato Fukuen (Japanese), Megan Hollingshead (English, TV series), Jad Saxton (English, Heaven and Earth)

Rina Nishio (西尾 里奈 Nishio Rina)

Voiced by: Ryoko Shiraishi (Japanese), Mela Lee (English, TV series), Jamie Marchi (English, Heaven and Earth)

Akira Nishio (西尾　暉 Nishio Akira)

Voiced by: Yūki Kaji (Japanese), Ben Bryant (English)

Mimika Mikagami (水鏡 美三香 Mikagami Mimika)

Voiced by: Yui Ishikawa

Reo Mikado (御門 零央 Mikado Reo)

Voiced by: Nobunaga Shimazaki

Sui Kaburagi (鏑木 彗 Kaburagi Sui)

Voiced by: Kensho Ono

ALVIS

Fumihiko Makabe (真壁 史彦 Makabe Fumihiko)

Voiced by: Masahiko Tanaka (Japanese), Ron Allen (English, TV series), Brian Mathis (English, Heaven and Earth)

Kouzou Minashiro (皆城 公蔵 Minashiro Kōzō)

Voiced by: Joji Nakata (Japanese), Michael McConnohie (English)

Chizuru Toomi (遠見 千鶴 Tōmi Chizuru)

Voiced by: Emi Shinohara (Japanese), Kate Higgins (English, TV series), Luci Christian (English, Heaven and Earth)

Yumiko Toomi (遠見 弓子 Tōmi Yumiko)

Voiced by: Yukana (Japanese), Michelle Ruff (English, TV series), Cynthia Cranz (English, Heaven and Earth)

Youko Hazama (羽佐間 容子 Hazama Yōko)

Voiced by: Nanaho Katsuragi (Japanese), Jane Alan (English, TV series), Lydia Mackay (English, Heaven and Earth)

Kiyomi Kaname (要 澄美 Kaname Kiyomi)

Voiced by: Shizuka Ishikawa (Japanese), June Ellis (English, TV series), Colleen Clinkenbeard (English, Heaven and Earth)

Seichirou Kaname (要 誠一郎 Kaname Seichirō)

Voiced by: Rikiya Koyama (Japanese), James Lyon (English)

Ayano Kondoo (近藤 彩乃 Kondō Ayano)

Voiced by: Sakiko Tamagawa (Japanese), Barbara Goodson (English)

Chisato Koudate (小楯 千沙都 Kōdate Chisato)

Voiced by: Ai Sato (Japanese), Wendee Lee (English)

Tomatsu Koudate (小楯 保 Kōdate Tomatsu)

Voiced by: Akimitsu Takase (Japanese), Kim Strauss (English, TV series), Chuck Huber (English, Heaven and Earth)

Yukie Kariya (狩谷 由紀恵 Kariya Yukie)

Voiced by: Yoko Soumi[2] (Japanese), Wendee Lee (English)

Kyousuke Mizoguchi (溝口 恭介 Mizoguchi Kyōsuke)

Voiced by: Takaya Hashi (Japanese), John Smallberries (English, TV series), Chris Rager (English, Heaven and Earth)

Ikumi Nishio (西尾 行美 Nishio Ikumi)

Voiced by: Hisako Kyoda (Japanese), June Ellis (English, TV series), Juli Erickson (English, Heaven and Earth)

Jeremy Lee Marcy (ジェレミー・リー・マーシー Jeremi Lii Maashii)

Voiced by: Aya Endo (Japanese), Anastasia Munoz (English)

Ian Kamp (イアン・カンプ Ian Kamp)

Voiced by: Masaki Terasoma (Japanese), Andrew Chandler (English)

New U.N.

Michio Hino (日野 道生 Hino Michio)

Voiced by: Hideyuki Hori (Japanese), Jack Bauer (English)

Mitsuhiro Bartland (ミツヒロ・バートランド Mitsuhiro Bartland)

Voiced by: Katsuji Mori (Japanese), Doug Stone (English)

Youji Hino (日野 洋治 Hino Yōji)

Voiced by: Jurota Kosugi (Japanese), Chris Kent (English)

Narain Wiseman-Bose (ナレイン・ワイズマン・ボース Narein Waisuman Bose)

Voiced by: Ryuzaburo Otomo

Jonathan Mitsuhiro Bartland (ジョナサン・ミツヒロ・バートランド Jonasan Mitsuhiro Baatorando)

Voiced by: Nobuhiko Okamoto

Billy Morgan (ビリー・モーガン Biri Mogan)

Voiced by: Masakazu Morita

Aishwarya Fein (アイシュワリア・フェイン Aishuwaria Fein)

Voiced by: Megumi Han

Festum

Mjölnir (ミョルニア Miyorunia)

Voiced by: Megumi Toyoguchi (Japanese), Lynn Fischer (English, TV series), Jennifer Seman (English, Heaven and Earth)

Idun (イドゥン Idoun)

Voiced by: Mitsuaki Madono (Japanese), Kim Strauss (English)

Misao Kurusu (来主 操 Kurusu Misao)

Voiced by: Ryōhei Kimura (Japanese), Joel McDonald (English)

Characters in Right of Left

Ryou Masaoka (将陵 僚 Masaoka Ryō)

Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano

Yumi Kouma (生駒 祐未 Kōma Yumi)

Voiced by: Yuko Kaida

Karin Kuramae (蔵前 果林 Kuramae Karin)

Voiced by: Akiko Kimura

Other Characters

Tsubaki Minashiro (皆城 乙姫 Minashiro Tsubaki)

Voiced by: Tamaki Nakanishi (Japanese), Mela Lee (English, TV series), Kristi Kang (English, Heaven and Earth)

Miwa Hino (日野 美羽 Hino Miwa)

Voiced by: Sumire Morohoshi (Japanese), Tia Ballard (English)

Emery Almond (エメリー・アーモンド Emery Arumondo)

Voiced by: Rio Sasaki

Orihime Minashiro (皆城 織姫 Minashiro Orihime)

Voiced by: Tamaki Nakanishi

Media

Anime

The series features two pieces of theme music and one insert theme. Angela performed the opening theme entitled "Shangri-La", the insert theme "Proof" in episode 15, and the ending theme "Separation". Sōkyū no Fafner: RIGHT OF LEFT, a 50-minute prequel special to the television series, aired on December 29, 2005. The ending theme "Peace of Mind" for the special was also performed by Angela. The TV series was originally licensed by Geneon under the shortened title, Fafner, but has since been out of print.[3] The series is set make its North American television debut on the Funimation Channel on October 29, 2012.[4]

A film, titled Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor: Heaven and Earth premiered in Japan on 25 December 2010. Once again, Angela performed all theme songs (image, opening and insert) for the film. "FORTUNES" and "Rikai to Hakai e no Prelude (Prelude to Comprehension and Destruction)" are used as image theme song for the movie. "Sōkyū (Azure)" is used as ending theme and "Sayonara no Toki Kurai Hohoen de (At Least, Smile When We Are Saying Goodbye)" is used as insert theme for the movie.

According to a twitvideo post from lead vocalist Atsuko of the Japanese music group angela, a sequel to the Fafner in the Azure series has been green-lit for production. The announcement was originally made at the live streaming event, Soukyuu Sakusen, which was for the film. The sequel, titled, Fafner in the Azure: Dead Aggressor: -EXODUS-; is confirmed to be released on the first quarter of 2015.[5][6] The anime will take place 2 years after Heaven and Earth.

At New York Anime Festival/New York Comic Con 2011, Funimation Entertainment had announced that both the TV series and film were both licensed and will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012.[7]

Light novel

A novelization of the series was written by Tow Ubukata, and featured illustrations by Hisashi Hirai. It was published in English by Digital Manga Publishing.

Video games

Fafner in the Azure was adapted into a video game released for the PlayStation Portable in early 2005. It follows almost directly to the storyline with two bonus missions and also features new weapons such as the dimension gun. It offers a unique style of gameplay being a 3-Dimensional, real-time Role-Playing-Game (RPG).

In 2009, the series made its debut into the long-running Super Robot Wars series as a part of Super Robot Wars K for the Nintendo DS. It returns in 2013 in Super Robot Wars UX for the Nintendo 3DS, which also marks the debut of the series' movie sequel, Heaven and Earth.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Fafner Exodus Sequel to Be 26-Episode TV Series". Anime News Network. Retrieved March 23, 2013.
  2. ↑ マウスプロモーション公式サイト：所属タレント [Yoko Soumi Talent Profile]. Mausu Promotion (in Japanese). Retrieved 2015-02-25.
  3. ↑ "Geneon Acquisition Fafner" (Press release). Geneon. 8 March 2005. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  4. ↑ "Funimation Week 45 of 2012".
  5. ↑ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-12-28/fafner-exodus-sequel-teaser-video-reveals-fall-2014-debut
  6. ↑ http://www.xebec-inc.co.jp/xebeczwei/sf_kairan201301.html
  7. ↑ "Funimation Adds Fafner Series, Film, Oblivion Island". Anime News Network. Retrieved 14 October 2011.

External links